President Donald Trump has broadened his accusations of secret nuclear testing to include not only Russia and China but also North Korea and Pakistan. These claims were made as he attempted to justify his new order for the U.S. to resume its own nuclear testing.
During an interview on ‘60 minutes,’ Trump was asked about the U.S. potentially detonating a nuclear weapon. He replied that the U.S. would “test nuclear weapons like other countries do,” before naming the four nations.
China, one of the primary targets of his accusation, issued an immediate and firm denial. The foreign ministry stated that China “upheld a self-defence nuclear strategy” and has always “abided by its commitment to suspend nuclear testing.”
Trump first revealed the U.S. policy shift in a social media post, stating he had “instructed the Department of War to start testing.” He claimed this was a reluctant decision, but that he “had no choice” because of the “testing programs” of others.
He also used the opportunity to tout America’s nuclear strength, claiming the U.S. has more weapons than any other nation and could “blow up the world 150 times.” He asserted Russia was second in arsenal size, with China a “distant third.”
Trump Alleges Widespread Secret Nuclear Testing by Rivals, Including Pakistan and North Korea
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